ill and Randy’s Excellent...

Bill and Randy’s Excellent Adventure

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Introduction

Prior to the National Convention of the American Distilling Institute (ADI) in Baltimore, Maryland,

Bill Owens, President of ADI, and Randy Pratt, owner and distiller of the Great Notch Distillery, set off on

an 863-mile adventure visiting 20 distilleries and 2 distilling support business’s covering three states (New

Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland) and the District of Columbia. This story recounts Bill’s and my time on

the road, at distilleries, and meeting the interesting people along our adventure. Not to be overlooked

during our visits were the amazing craft spirits being distilled.

Bill filled a three-ring binder containing an extensive list of distilleries to visit on this trip. Time

and distance simply made it impossible to visit everyone listed. Our apologies to those of you we could

not visit.

Tuesday, March 28

My cell phone rings, I say, “Hello?” “Hi Randy”, came the unmistakable voice on the other end of

the phone. It was Bill Owens, the President of the American Distilling Institute. “My connecting flight has

been delayed in Phoenix. Tell the guys who we were supposed to see tonight we won’t make it. My flight

won’t get in until 10:30. I’ll take a cab to the hotel and we’ll get a fresh start tomorrow morning at

another distillery on the list”, answered Bill. I responded, “No Bill, I’ll still pick you up so there’s no need

to take an expensive cab ride and maybe we can get a bite to eat. I’ll track your flight online and pick you

up at the airport later.” With that I hang up and go about my business. As I think about the call and the

lousy weather we were having in New Jersey causing the flight delay, I’m thinking, “Wow. That’s a long

delay in Phoenix. Was Bill calculating east coast time or west coast time?” You see, Bill lives in California

and maybe he hadn’t thought about the time difference. With that call, it started Bill and Randy’s

excellent adventure.

I contact the guys that would be our first stop on an impressive list of distilleries to visit and

apprise them of the situation and not to be disappointed if we couldn’t make it. I track Bill’s flight on

Flightview and see that he’s only a half hour delayed assuming I have the correct flight number because

none of the numbers Bill gave me matched anything coming out of California, much less Phoenix,

Arizona. There was a flight coming out of Copenhagen with the numbers he gave me, but that was just

ridiculous. I’m sure he said Phoenix.

Newark Airport ahead


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I leave my home for the airport at a reasonable time only to find rush hour traffic extending past

its rush hour time. Lakes of water rise in the middle of what were passable streets earlier in the day. My

windshield wipers can’t seem to dispense with the teeming rain quick enough. Things have slowed

significantly. Now, if you have had the pleasure of driving in New Jersey during to what could be

described as a Nor’easter, you may associate highway driving to the equivalent of a Grand Prix and

demolition derby with other drivers, and an occasional Seeing Eye dog, wearing blindfolds. This was no

typical night. Driving was slow. Making my way to the airport through a patchwork of highways and side

streets with potholes that have blossomed with the accumulating rain water. I pull over to the side of the

road to check on the status of the flight. Perfect. It’s on final approach. I decide to wait on the roadside

for a few minutes until the tracker says the plane has landed. My cell phone rings. It’s Bill. He informs me

that the plane has landed and that he’s packed light and everything is in his carry-on bag. Also, telling me

that he’s a fast walker. Good to know. No need to park, I’ll just meet him at the arrival’s doorway.

I don’t know about the layout of your city airport but at Newark Liberty International they have

three terminals; A, B, and C. Terminal C is typically utilized for international flights. Bill’s plane landed at

Terminal A at 7:30 p.m. No sweat. It’s the first terminal and there’s little activity happening. I pull up to

the arrivals doorway to the far right of the terminal hoping no one will bother me in a No Standing/No

Parking Zone. This will give me the opportunity to easily move forward to another door if Bill happens to

come out further down the terminal. Looking through the windshield saturated with rain I hear a “tap,

tap, tap” on the passenger side window. “Hey, you can’t park here. Keep it moving”, a Port Authority

police officer notifies me. “But…” I respond, as he says, “Move it, or ticket it”. So, I move, VERY slowly.

I’m hoping Bill’s fast walk can catch up to me before I run out of terminal doorways. He didn’t. Hadn’t he

worn his track shoes on the plane? I begin the loop out of Terminal A thinking I’ll take a quick spin around

the airport and be right back at the spot I just vacated. That quick spin became bumper to bumper snail

mail with the heavy rain and people now trying to reach Terminal C for international flights. Navigating

the spaghetti lines of cars and brake lights towards the airport loop was an adventure upon itself. My

phone rings several times during the loop around and the caller ID indicates it’s Bill. I answer, but he

doesn’t respond. I think he’s butt dialing me. Finally, I get to the outer loop and things start to move and I

end up exactly back where I started. I see people coming out of the terminal and a gaggle of cars are now

surrounding me. No police officer in sight. Bill calls again. No butt dial this time, it’s the real deal. He’s

outside the doors and finds me in the terminal line hidden behind an oversized Uber vehicle. After

exchanging pleasantries, we make our way out of the airport all together.

Bill’s plane taxiing at Newark International Airport in the rain


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We agree that it’s still early enough to make our first stop, albeit more than an hour away, while

the rain continues to fall and now a dense fog settling in. We call the guys at our first stop to alert them

of our pending arrival time and if they are still willing to wait for us. They are. Bill asked if it was possible

to have something light to eat once we arrive. They said they would see what they could do, but

truthfully it sounded skeptical. We make our way off the highways, local roads and onto the country

roads of New Jersey. If it were during the day you would appreciate seeing the beautiful countryside,

rolling hills and charm of the small towns we drove through. Our drive was different. It was pitch black,

raining, foggy and miserable driving. Bill would exclaim, “Look at all the new building going on. Isn’t it

wonderful?” How the hell could he see through the darkness, rain and fog? It beats me.

According to the GPS, “You have arrived at your destination on the left”. Really? All we see in

the darkness are residential homes. We call. “We’re here”, I say at, “blah, blah, blah address”. “Oh, no.”,

came the response. “You’re at my house”. Evidently, Bill’s trusty three-ring binder of addresses and

locations contained outdated information. No worries. We’ll update it later with the new location and

numbers. We, however, are an additional twenty-five minutes away. We start heading towards the

reprogramed address in the GPS and start to wonder if this was a good idea to trek out under these

conditions after an exceptionally long day for me, and long flight for Bill. Keep in mind that Bill is still on

California time and it’s not past his bedtime. Sack time was approaching fast for me along with a growling

stomach.

We arrive at the Milk Street Distillery, which happens to be on Milk Street, and we are greeted

on the porch by Mike and Gordon. They could not have been more inviting as we exit the car and are

welcomed into their distillery. It felt like home to me - when my wife isn’t around. To the delight of our

hungry stomachs a platter of cheeses and assorted meats await our consumption, not to mention a

sampling of the spirits Mike and Gordon have worked to produce. The front of the distillery has charm

and a comforting atmosphere. The inner workings at the back of the distillery where production takes

place has character. The first thing you’ll notice are the wood planked floors. I did anyway. These planks

have been refurbished and run wall to wall from the bar to the distilling area under the two stills. The

columns of the stills are taller than the ceiling so a cut-out was needed to go through to the attic. What

was particularly creative was a wash-out area. It looked very much like a shower. Because of the wood

planked floors this necessitated an area where barrels could be filled, equipment rinsed, and overall

cleaning could take place. Even without the planked floors, it’s a great idea. As Mike and Gordon point

out other interesting aspects of their distillery, Bill and I both agree that we made the right decision of

bearing the elements and visiting Milk Street. We hit the road much later than anticipated and head to

the hotel through the fog being cautious of deer.

Bill’s favorite meal of the day: Cheese and meat platter.

www.milkstreetdistillery.com

http://www.milkstreetdistillery.com/


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Mike (left) Gordon (right) with main still


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Homemade 6” column on original still


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Wash out (“shower”) area


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Gordon cleaning


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Before I continue with our story, let me say that every distiller and owner we met upon our

journey were gracious and accommodating. Each distillery had its own charm, personality, history, and

story. When we listened to each story we recognized a harmony that every distiller/owner has for

starting their unique distillery and the passion they all have for making great spirits.

Wednesday, March 29

We leave the hotel and head to our first stop of the day. The rain is gone and the day looks like

it’s going to be sunny and clear. I listen to Bill complain about the horrible coffee they had at the hotel

and he suggests stopping at a Starbucks. But there are none on the way to our first stop. “How about a

diner?”, I ask. “Nah, don’t want to waste time sitting at a diner,” Bill reply’s. “We have a lot to accomplish

today”. Doesn’t Bill know Jersey is known for its diners? So, we press on with no coffee. We move

onward to the Jersey Spirits Distillery. Within moments of entering the distillery we are greeted by John.

This is a characteristic of Johns’ that within seconds of entering the door into the tasting room you are

greeted with a friendly “hello” by John or someone at the distillery. There is a genuine warmth to his

greeting that you simply feel welcomed. Before entering the main door leading into the tasting room, Bill

noticed an unusual contraption vertical to either side of the doorway. John explained that these are flood

gates since the area has been prone to flooding. Thankfully not while he has occupied the space. John

enlightens us about his distillery and that Jersey Spirits are named after places in New Jersey and

experiences the co-founders, he, Sue and Betty, have had in Jersey. They have a deep respect for New

Jersey and its' storied landmarks and look to preserve and honor them by integrating each fond memory

into their products. These traditions and homage will continue with each new spirit they announce. We

take a walk across the complex to a small luncheonette and have a quick cup of coffee, finally coffee,

while Bill also grabs a breakfast sandwich. Interesting to note that their service didn’t’ adhere to John’s

distinguishing greeting or attentive service.

www.jerseyspirits.com

http://www.jerseyspirits.com/


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John telling us about his still


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The bar back at Jersey Spirits


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Bill liked the still drawing on the label


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Flood gate at front door


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We move onward to the Silk City Distillers located about twenty minutes away. Fortunately,

morning rush hour traffic has eased and makes for a speedy trip.

Missed morning traffic on way to Silk City. NYC in background.

We meet James and his brother John at the distillery. A third co-founder Tim is out on the road

like most new distillers taking care of business. Silk City is just getting into the game and has an ambitious

plan with multiple whiskeys in the pipe line. A bar and tasting room are under construction while local

ordinances are navigated. The nearby city of Paterson nicknamed “Silk City”, which the distillery is named

after, was the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. By 1870 nearly fifty-percent of the silk

made in the United States was produced in Paterson. “Silk City” has a deep history with the inventions of

the Colt Revolver which helped tame the west; and locomotives that moved freight to build a burgeoning

nation. If Silk City Distillers can accomplish half of this, they are well on their way of becoming a new

industrial giant in New Jersey.

www.silkcitydistillery.com

http://www.silkcitydistillery.com/


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Doorway to Silk City


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Brothers John (left) James (right). That’s Bill in the middle.


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Bill and I settle back into the car in what has turned out to be a beautiful warm sunny day, a far

cry from what we had experienced the previous day. We start heading towards our next distillery. After

piloting through every red traffic light on a state highway swarming with heavy midday tractor trailer

traffic and a couple of detours later, we eventually made it out to the open road and rolling hills of New

Jersey. When we came upon an unclear detour at an intersection I asked Bill, “Should I make a left, or a

right?” “Go left”, Bill says. Well, we’ve got a fifty-fifty shot at this I’m thinking. Unfortunately, we find

ourselves in a loop ending up right back at the unclear detour sign. GPS, you ask? No assistance here in

the middle of nowhere with no distinguishable street signs to help. Perhaps we should have asked the

four guys leaning on their shovels while one man worked in the hole in the road. Nah. We’re men like

those guys. We don’t ask for directions. We just need a shovel to lean on. After a U-turn, a lucky guess,

and a few more turns we end up on a road that delivers us to the Sourland Mountain Distillery.

The Sourland Mountains surrounding the distillery has a rich history of farmers, bootleggers and

rebels according to Ray, the owner of the distillery, as we tour the facility and property. The distillery

itself is located on the Double Brook Farm, separately owned by Robin and Jon McConaughy, along with a

micro-brewery and restaurant. A sampling of the rich history of the area can be found in the bar top in

the tavern which was milled from a tree that was up-rooted during a storm on the Lindbergh property.

For those of who don’t know about Charles Lindbergh, he dared to be the first aviator to successfully

achieve a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. A feat which today seems pedestrian. Sadly, Lindbergh’s

legacy is also known by the 1932 kidnapping of his 20-month-old son, Charles Junior, which ended

tragically. Whoa, that’s some heavy stuff there Randy. None-the-less, it’s a story that supports the history

of the area and that of the distillery, if they choose to tell it. The extensively restored 1800 brick colonial

farmhouse aptly named, Brick Farm Tavern, sits across the parking lot in front of the distillery. The tavern

was not open the day we visited, so we drove down the road to the Brick Farm Market (also owned by

Robin and Jon) housed in a refurbished 1930’s Chevrolet brick auto repair shop which was quite

attractive and produced an array of mouth-watering fresh foods, baked goods and desserts for your

pallet. It seems, rightly so, refurbishing old buildings is popular for their charm and historical

preservation. Bill and I enjoyed lunch with Ray and his distiller, Cam, who is interested in pursuing his

own distillery. As lunch conversation turned to the upcoming ADI conference in Baltimore we discover

that Cam owns a kilt and can play the bag pipes. We try to enlist him in providing a processional march

for Bill as he opens the conference, but to no avail. Some excuse that his kilt was at the cleaners.

www.sourlandspirits.com

http://www.sourlandspirits.com/


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Lunch at the Brick Farm Market, down the road


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Sourland Mountain Spirits distillery building


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Still at Sourland Mountain Spirits


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Brick Tavern Restaurant on grounds


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We’re off on the road when Bill realizes that he’s lost his phone. When driving with Bill you soon

learn the far-reaching grasp this man has in the distilling world. Beyond the standard phone calls to and

from the ADI staff concerning the planning and progress of the upcoming conference and Gin Summit,

only days away, or sharing additional notes with his staff on the distilleries we visited, Bill receives calls

from seemingly everywhere and everyone. And, seemingly he knows everyone. I pull off to the side of the

road for Bill to look around if it had fallen out of his pocket. With no phone found Bill climbs back into the

car. Sensing, what I perceive as a bit of controlled but subdued distress, we make yet another U-turn and

head back to the restaurant to search for the phone. Was it accidently thrown away in the trash? Did he

leave it on the table? Could it have fallen out of his pocket onto the restaurant floor? Is someone now

making long distance calls on his phone to the Far East on his dime? The suspense! As Bill hurries back

inside to the restaurant on his search and recovery mission, I figured I’d take another look in the car.

Viola! There it is, wedged nicely between the seat glider and the floor. It wasn’t possible to see it from

the passenger side door where Bill got out. But when I opened the rear door and I tucked my head under

the seat, it presented itself, giving me a sigh of relief. I run inside to give Bill the good news and we’re off

on the road again after the short delay.

As we reached our next destination I looked up the meaning of “Train Wreck” in the Urban

Dictionary on my iPhone. It described the definition in this manner, “a total f---ing disaster... the kind that

makes you want to shake your head”. Well, let me tell you that on this visit David and his son Aaron are

in the process of opening the Train Wreck Distillery in an old railway station along a rail line that is now

used as a hiking trail. A red caboose at the end of the parking lot rounds out the charm of the train

station turned distillery. If all things go as planned for David and Aaron, they’ll eventually be able to have

people sit out on a lawn area overlooking a river that runs at the base of the property or on the planned

patio off the bar as people stroll along the old train path. There’s no disaster here. They’re on the right

track.

www.trainwreckdistillery.com

http://www.trainwreckdistillery.com/


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Train Wreck still from tasting room window


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Aaron, Carl and David (l to r)


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Future patio location


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Our last stop of the day in New Jersey was at the Cooper River Distillery. James, the owner and

head distiller, was across the river in Philadelphia preparing for an event later that night. We made a

quick stop to visit the distillery and an employee was finishing a still run. What we found interesting was

that Cooper River had the only open flame still of the twenty distilleries we would visit on this trip. When

you visit Cooper River you will find an ample parking lot across the street where the guys may give you a

parking fee break if you mention that you are going to the distillery. Or, you can take the chance of

parking out front of this previously used car repair shop which still has signage that says Painting,

Alignment, and Brakes above its garage doors. No mention of the distillery. Careful though, if you park

your car in front of the building and the light-rail train passes, you may be chasing your bumper down the

street.

www.cooperriverdistillers.com

http://www.cooperriverdistillers.com/


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Cooper River Distillery still


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Direct heat flame at Cooper River


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Light rail train in front of distillery


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Gift Shop at Copper River


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We head over the Delaware River into Philadelphia to search for a hotel. As we make our way

around the cobble stone streets we pass Independence Hall, Franklin Square Park, Betsy Ross House and

the United States Mint. Why didn’t we stop at the Mint, you ask? Evidently, they don’t give out free

money.

Cobble stones are rumbling under the car tires as we drive the narrow streets of Old Philadelphia

Nearly everyone during my lifetime, and everyone I know from Pennsylvania (family and friends) have

referred to them as cobble stones. Bill disagreed. With a little research, they are called, setts stones. Bill

can see in the dark and knows his stones.

Setts Stone, not Cobble Stone


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Hotel view looking across to New Jersey. Ben Franklin Bridge in background

After checking into the hotel Bill contacted Robert Cassell owner of Millstone Spirits, President of

the Pennsylvania Distilling Guild and spokesman for a modular distilling system to name a few of the

multiple spirits bottles he’s juggling in the air. We walk over from the hotel to a nearby Tapas restaurant

where we enjoyed an array of delectable foods including Spanish Octopus and lamb meatballs.

Conversation included a broad discussion on topics such as the upcoming Gin Summit, ADI Conference,

proposed legislative action on interstate craft spirits shipping, and the progress of craft distilling in the

country. All good stuff here. We top off the night at a local ice cream shop a few blocks away and treat

ourselves, to what else, bourbon ice cream.

Bill’s favorite meal of the day: This was a toss-up, but the Spanish Octopus wins out by a tentacle.


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Thursday, March 30

The next morning was cloudy again with a chance of rain. Where’s that California weather that

Bill was supposed to bring with him? We set out and head to the new location of the Philadelphia

Distilling Company. The distillery is next to the Fillmore Philadelphia Theater which is an iconic music

venue. The Fillmore first opened in San Francisco in 1965 helping to launch the careers of The Grateful

Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Santana, The Doors, Hot Tuna and many others. This new distillery

location will be able to provide cocktails before or after a show at the Fillmore. We make our way walking

over the unfinished parking lot to where the outdoor patio is planned and enter through the main

doorway leading into a high open space and a very long bar. As you enter you inherently look straight

ahead at a large wall painting of a Blue Coat Gin bottle with a 13-star colonial flag behind it. Then, looking

to your left over the bar you see through the huge showcasing windows of two impressive stills. Your

initial reaction has got to be, “Whoa”. If distillers dream, and we all do, this may be what many of us

aspire to achieve in our dreams. Bill and I are introduced to a couple members of the distilling and

production team as they put the finishing touches on this impressive renovated industrial space complete

with original graffiti gracing the inside walls. Upon his arrival, Andrew the managing partner of

Philadelphia Distilling, greets us and runs us through the nuances of the renovation and upcoming

distillery move over a cup of coffee. Andrew tells us about the improved production space, tanks, piping,

equipment, and the several wood fermenters installed. The wood fermenters have gained some

popularity amongst distillers and offer a way of fermenting with wood rather than closed stainless steel

tanks. These fermenters are seven feet deep and are made in nearby Northeast Philadelphia.

www.philadelphiadistilling.com

http://www.philadelphiadistilling.com/


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The bar back windows


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Copper helmets at Philadelphia Distilling


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Spirits collection/proofing box


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Wood fermenters


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Our interest in the fermenters was heightened and Bill and I head to the Hall-Woolford Wood

Tank Company. The building is pretty much non-descript on the outside. We felt silly sitting in the car

looking at a map, Googling the location on our iPhones and calling to get directions, while all this time we

had been parked right next to it. The only reason we found it was by circling the block and driving to the

end of the street and making a U-turn and catching a glimpse of the lumber yard behind the building.

We meet Jack Hillman, General Manager, and his son Kyle. A proud narrative told by Jack is that

this company has been around since 1854, before Abraham Lincoln became President. That’s a lot of

generations of Hillman’s keeping the tradition and hand craftsmanship rolling along in what has become

automated times. Jack tells us that many of the water tanks you see on top of skyscrapers in cities have

been manufactured by them. One of their tanks is installed at Citi Field where major league baseball’s

New York Mets play. You’ll find hundreds, if not thousands, more on rooftops across New York City and

elsewhere around the country. We intently listened to the fascinating history of the business and the

specifications designed for each tank. Jack tells us the largest diameter tank they have made was 250 feet

across. Tanks are made for specific functions such as the fermenters we saw at Philadelphia Distilling,

water storage, containment, a planter, or hot tub – yes, hot tubs. After we munched down some pizza we

took a tour through the milling, production, assembly and lumber yard. I certainly gained a greater

appreciation and knowledge of the advantages of wood tanks and the various industries, including

distilleries, utilizing and benefitting from wood tanks.

www.woodtank.com

http://www.woodtank.com/


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Jack and Bill walking the production floor


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Jack explaining an original piece of equipment


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Wood staves to be used in a tank


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Just as Bill and I are questioning whether to make a left or right at the end of the lot, Jack offers

his advice, and we take it. We make a left and we’re hustling to our next stop. We visit the Red Brick

Distillery and you guessed it, it’s a red brick building. We meet Brian in what seemed like a labyrinth of

hallways in a multiuse building in this partially below ground distillery. Red Brick is on Martha Street, a

small side street in Philadelphia. It’s one of the many places in the area that has a growing upbeat vibe.

Red Brick uses Briess products, “naturally grown, meticulously crafted malt”, and we’re told by Brian that

Red Brick’s single malt whiskeys sell out regularly. After tasting a sample, we see why.

www.redbrickcraftdistillery.com

www.briess.com

Brian inside the aging room

http://www.redbrickcraftdistillery.com/

http://www.briess.com/


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Front door (below) Red Brick Distillery


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Briess product

Bill and Brian in production area


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On our way through the streets of Philadelphia Bill puts some of his photography skills to work

on the fly capturing the essence of this blue collar working man’s city.

A working man in pick up truck on 2nd Street


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A neighorborhood street in Northeast Philly

If you look at the photo above you’ll notice an E-Z Pass on the windshield. How did we survive

without this on the roadways, bridges and tunnels? I remember having to pay for a toll by throwing a

quarter into a prutuding basket hanging on the side of a toll booth. Heavens forbid if you missed and

didn’t have another ready at hand to toss in. The horns of every motorist and their extensive vocabulary

of swear words would hail down upon you. If you dared get out of your car to look for the poorly tossed

quarter you better have an out of state license plate. Only then you may not be sworn at, but given the

middle finger salute. Or is that just a Jersey thing?


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Without incident or being given the “salute” we arrive at Rowhouse Spirits. I’m pleasantly

pleased that there was ample parking as the local and narrow streets were clogged with cars. Dean is the

propritor and a transplant from Toronto, Canada. He formerly worked for I.B.M which is an accronym for,

“I’ve Been Moved”. Dean is a big man with a friendly catching smile. His distillery is located in a building

once used as a gas station. The artwork on the outside of the building was commissioned by the city

which has hundreds of murals painted throughout Philadelphia. Dean will tell you that he has been

fortunate to have traveled in his life and during those trips he has met many interesting people. It was

through those people he became interested in creating his own spirits and traditions.

www.rowhousespirits.com

Dean holding a pump, with a smile

http://www.rowhousespirits.com/


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Bottle label of Amaro


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Is it just me? Or, does this label look like

Dean without the smile? Either way, no

messing with this former Canadian


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Mural on Rowhouse Spirits building


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It’s raining again as we drive out to the Deer Creek Malt House. Mark and Josh are struggling

with a tire that’s gone flat on the fork lift with a delivery truck waiting to be loaded. There are pallets

filled with grains all around us. Mark and Josh are kind to give us some time and warn us not to get too

close to the two docile looking horses in the corral. Evidently, they aren’t so docile. The floors where the

traditional floor malting takes place are currently empty and swept clean waiting to be sanitized. Bill and

the guys talk business as I keep an eye on the horses.

www.deercreekmalt.com www.newlibertydistillery.com

Malt rake at Deer Creek

http://www.deercreekmalt.com/

http://www.newlibertydistillery.com/


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Award winning Malt Whiskey from

New Liberty Distillery using Deer Creek grains


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While driving to our next destination Bill starts the conversation saying, “You should never talk to

someone about your health problems.” He then proceeds to tell me a story about a recent medical

condition he has overcome. The story, as Bill tells it, is that while on a prescription medication he had

some hallucinations about aliens and passwords. While the aliens were a bit fuzzy in his mind, the

password is “5”, unless it’s sunny - then it’s “7”. Considering all the rain we’ve been driving through, I’m

guessing five has been the password. Oh, and those aliens. Maybe keep them to yourself.

(there’s 5 of them)

The Blue Bird Distillery is our next stop. Jared, Blue Bird’s founder, gives us a tour of the

production area and the spirits he’s working on. We grab a place at the bar in the tasting room where a

few other patrons are just chilling out. I wonder if they know about the aliens. Wherever you look you’ll

see something to catch your attention in the distillery; like the wall painted murals, the production chart,

or the very extensive drink boards written in various colors of chalk. Bill and I enjoy tasting a couple of

spirits then a cocktail. The “Livin’ in Sin” cocktail with its creative topping design seems to be our deciding

choice. You’ll enjoy these impressive cocktails which are creative and visually pleasing, not to mention

delicious.

www.bluebirddistilling.com

Livin’ in Sin Cocktail

http://www.bluebirddistilling.com/


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Jared, the founder of Blue Bird Distilling


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Tasting room and bar at Blue Bird Distillery


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One of several chalk board drink menus


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The last distillery we visit for the day in Pennsylvania is Five Saints Distilling. The distillery is in a

firehouse built more than 125 years ago. Inside the building remains a ramp the horses would run down

to get a running start pulling the water wagon. The fire pole the “firemen” (that’s what they were called

back in the day) would slide down is still in its original location. On this night, it was open mic night and a

singer with a guitar was entertaining us. John, the owner, told his only joke at the mic. The joke was

good, his spirits are better. When John took us on a tour of the production area he told us the story of

how Five Saints was started. This included why he named each of the pieces of equipment after one of

the five fathers (men) that has had an influence his life. His story makes you appreciate the word

“family”. John and his wife Amy provided wonderful hospitality as Bill and I took advantage of their

generosity and bunked in their carriage house for the evening.

A motto in Pennsylvania is, “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania”. Each of these men and

women we visited today upheld that slogan.

www.fivesaintsdistilling.com

Labels for Five Saints spirits

http://www.fivesaintsdistilling.com/


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Sign on product shelf


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Firefighter memorabilia on walls


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Bill’s favorite meal of the day: Not the pizza that we had for lunch or dinner. It was the hard-

boiled egg for breakfast he made himself at the hotel.

This is an egg

Local pizza shop in Pennsylvania


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Friday, March 31

The following morning Bill and I awake, to you guessed it, more rain. While we prepare to leave

the quaint cottage, I take a quick look at the walls to make sure our snoring competition during the night

hasn’t stripped the walls of its paint. Nope, we’re good. Bill was sleeping on the first floor, and I was in

the loft. We sawed wood all night. I’m surprised the United National Lumberjack Snoring Association (if

there is such a thing) didn’t present us with an award the next morning.

We ride on in the rain towards Boardroom Spirits. We meet Marat the founder of Boardroom

who is of Hungarian descent. Interesting to note that the spirits Marat distills is on a Hungarian built still.

If you studied basic chemistry in high school and if you remember the Periodic table you’ll recall that C is

for Carbon and B is for Boron. At Boardroom Spirits, C is for Carrots and B is for Beets. These two periodic

letters adorn their spirits bottles as well. Marat tells us that it takes about 12½ pounds of fermented and

distilled carrots for one 375-milliliter bottle. The day we visited they were hard at work prepping a skid of

beets for fermentation. These two distilled spirit specialties using carrots and beets as a base are unique

not just in Pennsylvania distilling but perhaps the nation.

www.boardroomspirits.com

The tedious process of slicing beets

http://www.boardroomspirits.com/


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Boardroom Spirits Hungarian still


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Tasting room at Boardroom Spirits


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Here’s my Periodic table; Ra-Radium, I-Iodine, and N-Nitrogen. What does it spell? R.A.I.N.

I white knuckle it in the heavy downpours on the highway as we head to Maryland. My fingers

are numb from gripping the wheel as I feel the car slightly hydroplane. I think Bill may have sensed a little

tenseness or tiredness on my part; we did have a competition the night before, and suggested we stop at

a highway travel stop. While Bill finally got his Starbucks, I went in search of some throat lozenges. Bill

finds me in the store and discovers the Holy Grail of travel bags. As he places it on the counter I ask, “Are

you kidding? What are you 90 years old?” Bill begins to explain with all sincerity, “This is a piece of

Americana. Look at the artwork. The use of colors, and the landmark representation of each of the States

in the illustration,” I say, “Okay Bill,” as I grin at Bill’s wonderful sense of pleasure and joyful heart, even if

he isn’t ninety.

More rain


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Americana travel bag


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A patch of trees in Maryland

(Don’t they have trees in California?)


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Along with Bill’s awesome new travel bag we part with some type of chewie organic fruit candies

Bill found on the store rack. The label proclaims that the product is “always free” of nine things I

personally would want in my candy. It further proclaims, “delicious satisfaction”. It was aweful, but Bill

liked it. Maybe he is ninety.

We hustle back through the parking lot to the car in what amounts to another down-pour and set

our sites on whats been voted as the “The Coolest Small Town in America”. We don’t know who voted

for this town but Sykesville, Maryland was very pictureque with historic homes and alluring main street

shops. It’s also the home of a new distillery called Patapsco Distilling Company, aptly named after the

nearby Patapsco River. We meet with Scott, the owner, who is working on a fermentation tank when we

arrived. There’s always something to be fixed or cleaned in a distillery. Scott shows us around the

century-plus old building and the structurial improvements he was required to complete before

occupancy permits were issued. As you can imagine it was a lot of work, but it will be well worth it as

Sykesville has another reason to be called “cool”.

www.patapscodistilling.com

http://www.patapscodistilling.com/


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Patapsco Distilling Company


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Scott shows off refurbished second floor banquit room


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Scott checking the spent mash


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Patapsco tasting room under construction

Indoor golf at Patapsco Distilling


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While in Sykesville we have lunch and a cappucino at one of its appealing little storefronts. This

restaurant specializes in crêpes and had a large delicious selection.

Crêpes


73

Dowtown Sykesville, Maryland


74

Our wheels start rolling again as we head towards Washington, D.C. We navigate the belt-way of

Washington and make our first stop at District Distilling who lay claim of being D.C.’s first combination

distillery, kitchen and bar. It’s located in the heart of the city’s U Street corridor. We meet with distiller

Matt who is responsible for production and the two massive columns each containing 21 plates which

rise-up through the flooring to levels well above the street level. The 8000-square foot facility features

the distillery production space on the ground floor occupying three conjoined late 19th century row

houses. The bar and restaurant on the second floor covers a span of five addresses. An interesting fact

that Matt shares with us is that he found his current position on an ADI Forum. While Matt won’t boast

about his accomplishments it’s easy to see why he will be leading District Distilling to greater heights.

Perhaps he should consider leading our U.S. Congress while in D.C.

www.district-distilling.com

http://www.district-distilling.com/


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Main still


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Soaring column


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Smaller still at District Distilling


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Columns rising above floor levels


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Bill approves of hoses hanging on the wall


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Founding Spirits may not have been the first to claim being a combination distillery in the District

of Columbia but they certainly have found their spirit. Get it? Founding Spirits. Found their spirit. Sorry, I

digress. Bill and I walk through the revolving door into an airy space with high ceilings, high windows and

a bright coloful bar. We meet Dan the owner, and Jon the VP of beverage operations who is also the

distillery director of the Farmers Restaurant. Founding Spirits occupies a small production space near the

bar in the restaurant. A viewing window from the bar gives you a peak into the production area as Jon

explains the herbs and botanicals that go into their Amaro. While the distilling space and still may be

considered small, the flavor is large.

www.foundingspirits.com

Entrance to Farmers Restaurant and Founding Spirits

http://www.foundingspirits.com/


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Jon (left) with assistant


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Herbs and botanicals infuseing for Amaro


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Still at Founding Spirits


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Bill’s favorite meal of the day: It was a tie. La Grecque Galettes (Greek Savory Crêpes) with a

cappuccino for lunch, and the salmon sandwich at the Union Market in D.C. for dinner.

We end our visits for the day and head to Gallaudet University where we would be staying the

night before the Gin Summit. This is where we catch up with members of the ADI team and the speakers

who arrived from around the globe to make presentations at the Gin Summit. This is an impressive group

of people with facinating stories and experience who are exceptonally committed to craft distilling.

(l-r) David T Smith, Christy Howery, Joe Barber, Eric Zandona, Bill Owens, Julia Nourney, Ann Brock


85

Saturday, April 1

There was no April fool’s joke here. It was Gin Summit day and all systems were “go”. The

weather even cooperated and gave us a partly sunny day. Wahoo! The full day summit was held at the

Jos. A. Magnus Distillery in the Murry Hill section of Washington, D.C. and they were wonderful hosts.

Bill made his welcoming remarks and the summit was off and running. Wow, what a morning. The staff of

ADI and the presenters were working like perfect botanicals enhancing the aroma of your new make

alcohol. Brad Plummer of Coastal Spirits gave an eye opening and thought provoking presentation on

various types of water sources. There is a difference among each source you use to proof down your

spirit. It does matter if you are using distilled, RO, well, city/tap, filtered, bottled, spring, and a couple of

other water sources reviewed. Brad’s power-point was the basis of a book he is writing pertaining to the

influence water has on spirit alcohol.

http://josephmagnus.com/

Brad Plummer discussing water significance

Philip Duff is a renowned gin and genever (yes, spelled with a “g”) historian. His presentation

started with the earliest known origins of the juniper based health-related tonics and medicines in 1269

Europe (yes, 1269), towards a more recent spirit segment. It was in 1689 when Prince William III of the

http://josephmagnus.com/


86

Dutch House of Orange ascended to become King Willem III of England. It was he who inadvertently

encouraged the creation of gin as we know it by encouraging domestic distilling by banning foreign-

imports. Philip has traveled far and wide to research and read first edition books dating back hundreds of

years to quantify his research. The Library of Congress would be proud of Philip’s depth and breadth of

gin and genever.

The “Gin Girl”, Natasha Bahrami, walked us through classic and contemporary styles of gins with

a tasting of what she views as the more stimulating gins. The nuances with of each of the gin samples and

their mouth feel, aroma, visual appeal, palate, and distillation methods were explained. If you like gin,

this was where to be.

Sample flight of gin

Stephen Gould is a gin distiller and founder of the Golden Moon Distillery in Colorado and is the

first American member of The Gin Guild. Stephen detailed gin’s arrival in the New World of the

Caribbean, and North and South America. Stephen shared with us that he has distilled a gin from an 1870

gin recipe. His spirits are made using the same type of artisan production processes utilized by distillers in

the mid-to-late 1800s. Stephen is an interesting historian who, I’m told, has a world-class research library

containing hundreds of rare books on distillation and related products and processes, some dating back

to the 1500s. Perhaps we have another Library of Congress candidate?

Tommy Haughton of Beacon Commodities described the significance of botanicals and from

where they are sourced; such as orange peel from Egypt. His presentation enlightened us of the regions


87

and countries around the world that help us produce our savory botanic spirit. Obviously, without

botanicals there would be no gin. Thank goodness, we don’t have to worry about that.

Peels drying on lines

Jos. A. Magnus stillhouse


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Jos. A. Magnus entrance


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ADI (staff) “nose” and consultant Nancy Fraley has the rick barrel room named after her at

Jos. A. Magnus. Her blending has helped Jos. A. Magnus win several awards.

Proud Nancy


90

The Gin Summit afternoon sessions had several more presenters, a panel discussion, an induction

cermony, and a gin and tonic networking reception. Bill and I unfortunatetly were unable to attend. We

needed to press onward and start heading towards Baltimore.

Stop number twenty-one brought us to Republic Restoratives Distillery in the Ivy City section of

D.C. There was no parking on New York Avenue and I was stopped on a busy street corner. I told Bill to

run in while I sat in the car. His advise was to park there and “live dangerlously”. The last time he said

something similar to that statement to me, I started a distillery. We run into the Republic Restoratives

Distillery where you can clearly see the two stills through street level windows. We walk into the tasting

room where a polite bartender was preparing the bar. No one was available from the distilling side so we

took a couple of quick photos, left a business card and moved on. We were back in the car just as an

officer passed in his patrol car. This time there was no tap, tap, tap on my window.

http://republicrestoratives.com

Stills at Republic Restoratives (forward and background)

http://republicrestoratives.com/


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Bar at Republic Restoratives

Merchandise at Republic Restoratives


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A few blocks away is the New Columbia Distillers and meet John, the owner and distiller, as he is

greeting people as they enter. His distillery is busy on this day as people arrive for a tour and tasting. He

see’s Bill and it was like two long lost friends finding one another again. Smiles all around. I’ll drink to

that.

http://greenhatgin.com

John greeting customers at door

http://greenhatgin.com/


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Entrance New Columbia Distillery


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Customers enjoying a taste at New Columbia


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Bill puckering up to an Amaro bottle


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Rye

Whiskey Barrels from New Columbia Distillers


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Stop number twenty-two is programmed into the GPS and takes us to our last distillery on this

adventure as we leave Washington, D.C. and head towards Baltimore. Once again we utilize the

information from the three-ring binder which takes us to a location which use to house the Lost Ark

Distillery. Bewildered, we circle the building and travel up and down the street thinking perhaps the GPS

is wrong. It has to be around here somewhere. Well, it wasn’t. Isn’t this ironic? We’re lost in a car looking

for the Lost Ark. We call Andy, co-owner and distiller, and he tells us they have since moved to a new

location. We find our way to the distillery and it was in a location of what can be descibed as an office

park. Once you walk through the doors the space is high and bright forgetting any preconception of the

building type. We meet John who happily invites us in and gives us a tour of the faciltiy while explaining

his equipment, grain and distillation process. Bill and I are satisfied that we found the Ark and they won’t

be lost too much longer.

www.lostarkdistilling.com

Jon at Lost Ark Distillery

http://www.lostarkdistilling.com/


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Open space at Lost Ark


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Lost Ark still


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Lost Ark tasting room with Bill and John


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We finish our last visit and drive to Baltimore where the conference will be taking place. I can

sense that Bill’s mind is already thinking ahead to the upcoming event and his responsibliites as we drive

to the hotel. I drop Bill off at the hotel and I head back north to my distillery with having the great

pleasure of meeting many intersting people creating craft spirits and visiting the eclectic distilleries in, or

soon to be in, production.

While I headed back north, Bill contiuned to photograph his adventure. Enjoy a compliation of

photos from the ADI convention in Baltimore. We hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure.

Cheers!

Photo of Downtown Baltimore from tallest buiding


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ADI staff relax after a full day of registration


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Two hundred shots served in 2 minutes during gala dinner


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Some SWAG from vendors


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Stillhouse at Sagamore Distilling


106

Old Fashion from Clock Tower speakeasy


107

Outside Cotton & Reed entrance


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The back bar at Cotton & Reed


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Reed Walker distiller/partner of Cotton & Reed. Notice filtration system


110

Stillhouse at Cotton & Reed


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When you open a carton of Cotton & Reed, this is what you may see


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An Amaro


113

Whiskey Sour


114

Bill spotted the Capital

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